Former Gophers starting quarterback Philip Nelson has been charged with first- and third-degree assault for allegedly booting former Minnesota State University linebacker Isaac Kolstad in the head early yesterday morning. (Read the full backstory here.)

The incident partially involved a case of mistaken identity, the charges say. Nelson, 20, was upset because earlier in the night, a bouncer at Mankato's Blue Bricks Bar and Eatery flirted with his girlfriend. Later in the night, for reasons that aren't explained in the charging document, Nelson and Kolstad started arguing near a downtown bus shelter. When one of Kolstad's friends pulled Nelson aside in hopes of deescalating the situation, Kolstad approached and struck Nelson in the back, knocking him down. That prompted an as-of-yet-unidentified man in a red shirt to punch Kolstad, knocking him out cold and causing his head to bounce off the pavement. Nelson then moved in and delivered one or two kicks to Kolstad's head.

Nelson later told police he thought Kolstad was the bouncer who had kissed his girlfriend on her hand at Blue Bricks, which wasn't in fact the case. (Nelson's girlfriend told police he's very protective of her.)

Nelson said neither he nor his girlfriend have any idea who the man in red is. During a news conference this afternoon, authorities announced they're still looking for him. (Mankato authorities uploaded a bunch of security stills and a couple videos of the second suspect on the city's website -- click here to view them.)

Officers say Nelson had bloodshot eyes and smelled like alcohol, and that his girlfriend, who is also underage, had been drinking too.

Yesterday evening, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic told a Mankato officer that Kolstad has a severe head injury and a severe pulmonary injury. Specifically, he suffered bleeding on the brain, a skull fracture, brain swelling, brain shifting, and deterioration of the lungs from lack of oxygen. The doctor said he's not sure Kolstad will survive his injuries, and even if he does, he's doubtful he'll make a good recovery.

The doctor said Kolstad's skull fracture is on the left side of his head, which is the area where Nelson kicked him.

Ryan... I explained this to you in your comment below. Kolstad was the receiver of the sucker punch by the second guy which was also posted on this page 3 hours ago. Nelson was the one who claimed Kolstad punched first but was found to not be true. Funny that Nelson claims he remembers Kolstad punching first but conveniently doesn't remember kicking him. That is the true showing of a coward.

Ryan Blilie.. Kolstad is the victim any way tou and your narrow mind want to look at it. He is in a medically induced coma fighting for his life, that even if he is lucky enough to survive, he will never be the same. That is the definition of a victim. The other two jokers are facing criminal charges, but not brain damage and death

Brant Brant Geyer I agree, but he is not a victim as I see it and this is why. when you throw the first punch you have to know that anything can happen after that. I would never kick a person when they are down but I also realize this is a possibility before I try and punch someone, and the story I got was that the Kolstad guy took a sucker punch when the guy was not even looking. that's what bothers me is he was the instigator and fighting dirty but they are calling him a victim. that was my point. But regardless yes it is tragic, and you should never kick someone when they are down, just like you don't sucker punch someone but because he was the one that got hurt now he is a victim, I disagree with that part of it.

Ryan Billie, that was found to not be true by the video... and "Charges say that’s when the unidentified suspect ran in and punched Kolstad, knocking him to the ground. The complaint states Nelson said he doesn’t remember kicking Kolstad in the head twice." Even though it's all on video. They just caught the second guy this morning and he and Nelson went to high school together.
And how about not being an asshole??? You never kick or hit a person on the ground no matter what they may have done before hand... which in this case was NOTHING.

I've seen tons of streetfights in person & video, any combatant who goes to head kick an unconscious person on the ground is a B & deserves no mercy for such attempted murder. That kinda thing clearly shows someone's inhumane character. Keep your temper in check meathead.

So it's all about completely stupid bullshit that would have been forgotten by the next morning except somebody had to keep it going and somebody else took exception to being treated rudely by a drunken lout. So now one man may die or be permanently disabled, and two young men are going to have completely screwed-up lives in the extended criminal training and hardening cages we politely refer to as "prison." This has nothing to do with football except that physical reactive nature didn't help a thing. Plenty of non-athletes are angry, abusive fools, and also don't walk away from an obviously unreasonable man. This is truly tragic, because it involves bad outcomes from avoidable situations.

Ryan Blilie I think the problem here is after the first guy swung on him, he was punched and knocked unconscious and then the gentleman proceeded to kick him in his head. You can defend yourself but once the other gentleman was rendered unconscious, the threat is over.

What a putz. Brain damage someone because you are unhappy about your gf 's hand being kissed? Girlfriend is lucky she isn't the one who got kicked in the head because with anger like that, it is bound to happen at some point.

Yeah, there is that. So this dumb ass kid wanted to kick the bouncers ass that let him get drunk for the night? And his little girlfriend, "oh he is protective" haha please. Probably tosses her too.
You just don't kick a person in the head on the ground. But if you make the choice to do such a thing, be prepared for the consequences. And whatever comes his way should impact his life for as long as his victims is impacted by his actions.

This is also why you don't fight on the ground. A lot of guys, especially in the MMA styles will talk about "going to the ground." As the experts say, "the ground is where you die." People get stomped to death on the ground in fights.

Very sad. A fight over a woman seriously if the BIT** kissed another why would you want her. You had your whole future ahead of you. Now the guy won't make it what did you achieve? You lost your football future if any and you lost your woman. But most of all you last your freedom. Hope it was worth it....

Dude, you are seriously screwed up in the head if you don't think that someone is a victim who is lying uncouncious and not not moving on the ground and then gets kicked in the head so severly it may kill him. You need some help my man just as much as does the idiot drunk who did this to him. Even if he did hit first, it had to be pretty harmless as the idiot was still standing and was able to attack. From what I read IK threw a harmless punch in the shoulder area and then retreated when the other idiot came out of nowhere and suckered him in the face. At that point in time he was out cold and that was when this drunken coward Nelson decided he was going to defend himself against a defenseless person. You don't kick a person when he is out cold. Wow, what a brave man this Nelson. And your views are distorted.